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Constipation is no joke! And it’s high time we talk about it. This gastrointestinal condition that makes it difficult to have a bowel movement is highly dangerous for the body. The causes for constipation could be anything: inactivity, a low-fiber diet, consuming large amounts of dairy products, and certain conditions like pregnancy, IBS, or neurological disorders.
Constipation can be treated using a variety of methods. Adding exercise to your lifestyle, drinking more water, introducing fiber-rich products into your diet, or using a laxative or stool softener could be some great options to relieve constipation. In cases of occasional constipation, home remedies are the first line of treatment, and prune juice is among the most popular.
Prunes, also known as "dried plums", are a great option to relieve constipation by cleaning your gut. It also helps your body function in a variety of ways and prevents the onset of many gastric conditions. According to a study in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, dried plums and their derivatives, like prune juice, can prevent constipation and colon cancer. Even better, nutrients found in prunes can help to control obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Another study in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics has shown that prunes work better than medications with psyllium and can be used as a first-line therapy for treating constipation.
Though prune juice is filtered, it doesn’t have the same high fiber content as dried prunes. Still, both are laxatives due to their high sorbitol content. Aside from being a great laxative, it has iron that prevents anemia, potassium that regulates blood pressure, sugar that provides energy, boron that prevents osteoporosis, and last but not least, phenolic compounds that can control chronic diseases.
Prune juice is very easily accessible in the organic section of your local grocery store. However, you can easily make it at home as well. To make it at home, just add some water to the prunes and let them soak for 20 minutes, then blend them up in a blender with some more water. You can add some lemon juice and sugar for taste, but keep in mind that prunes are naturally sweet, so a little goes a long way. Finally, strain out the pulp (or you can leave it in for extra fiber).
Prune juice is a great replacement for someone who loves their sweets. You can consume it as a juice every day, mix it in with smoothies, add it to porridge or kheer as a natural sweetener, or add it to muffins as a sugar replacement. The recommended serving size for adults is 4 to 8 ounces, or approximately 30 milliliters, and for infants, 2 to 4 ounces.
As is the case with most medicines, remember that more isn’t always better. Adding more fiber doesn’t always help stimulate a bowel movement. Extra fiber can be extremely dangerous for you if you’re extremely dehydrated. So, it is extremely important to just stick to one serving, that is, six dried plums per day.
Aside from providing relief from digestive problems, regularly consuming prunes and prune juice benefits a person’s health in many other ways. Increasing feelings of fullness and thereby reducing overall food intake, controlling obesity, lowering the risk of diabetes, protecting against cardiovascular disease, reducing bacterial growth in the urinary tract, and preserving bone strength are just a few of the numerous benefits.
When it comes to the risks of consuming prunes, there are relatively few of them. It is a low-risk remedy for constipation, and the only common side effect among consumers is an increase in flatulence, or gas. However, one should note that prune juice is extremely high in calories and sugar. To put it in numbers, a 256-gram cup of prune juice contains 42 grams of sugar and 182 calories with only 2.5 grams of fiber. Thus, a high sugar intake can increase the risk of weight gain and blood sugar problems, though these problems are very slight. As seen in many studies, they have only a small effect on blood sugar and insulin levels.
Though prune juice is a very good treatment for constipation, if you’re suffering from severe or persistent constipation, you should seek medical advice. Chronic constipation can indicate an underlying health condition that needs attention, and consulting a doctor should be a must. A doctor can recommend lifestyle changes or over-the-counter medication. In extreme cases, the patient might need an enema or manual removal of stool. Rectal or abdominal pain, blood in the stool, or unexplained weight loss are certain situations where you should immediately talk to your doctor.
Prune juice is highly effective for treating normal constipation. However, if it turns into a chronic condition, one should always seek medical help without hesitation or shame.
